I had mixed feelings about this blog. On one hand, Brad Flickinger seems like a very intelligent and thought-provoking person who has made great strides in the use of new technology in a classroom setting. His goals are understandable and I am in agreement with many of his points. I do think that as educators we need to be up to speed with the newest technology and to be aware of the types of resources available to students. His “Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students” was very interesting to read and gave some great tips for teachers in the classroom regarding technology and trying to veer away from traditional ideologies. That being said, I also believe that there is a line that can be drawn when it comes to technology in the classroom and its effectiveness. I consider myself to be a pretty open-minded person, so I am hoping through this class and through the perspectives of many others I will gain further insight about the positives of using many types of technology in the classroom (even the dreaded cell phone).
Specifically looking at his Student Bill of Rights, I very much enjoyed what was said about being taught by instructors who know how to manage the technology in their classrooms. It’s not fair for students to be forced back to the Stone Age just because their teacher does not want to learn how to use any new forms of technology. The tools and resources we have nowadays are so amazing and helpful, why would we want to keep that from students. I do not think that we should make technology as taboo as it has been in some of my previous classroom experiences. While I surely had teachers who embraced all technological advances, there were always a few teachers that refused to use any new products in their classroom, even if the school was supplying them. To be honest, I was mostly in agreement with all of Brad’s posts and ideas.
I feel that this photo shows technology in the classroom in a very positive light. Teachers should be up to speed on the new technology that kids can use. Makes the class much more interesting for the students!
There
were some things mentioned that I still feel might not be effective.
Yes, I may sound old fashioned, but I have been in the cell
phone/Facebook world long enough to know that many of my peers were
severely distracted during class. I do not want students focusing more
on who said what about whom when I am trying to teach them new skills. I
am all for embracing technology and teaching my students how to be
marketable, but there is a difference in using technology time
positively in the classroom, than using it to be distracted from
learning. I know that this class and future readings will probably show
me the light when it comes to these issues and how to correctly handle
them, but for now I am still a little bit skeptical about social
networking. I understand that we communicate in this way now, and that I
can use it as an educational tool, but is it realistic to think that
they still will not serve as hindrances in many ways for many students?
Overall a very insightful blog, but I still have many questions.
This is what I think about when I imagine cell phone use in the classroom. This comes from experience being around peers who did this constantly (and doing so myself). Guess what I wasn’t doing when I was using mine? Answer: Paying attention.
Educational Technology Bill of Rights (Plus Additions)
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